Vandals hit Portland businesses: 'When one guy gets hit, we all get hit'
PORTLAND, Ore. – Small businesses are under attack in a Southeast Portland neighborhood.
Vandals shot or smashed at least four different store front windows on Southeast Stark Street between Interstate 205 and Mount Tabor. Several shops in the Montavilla neighborhood have been hit multiple times in the last two weeks.
Barber Johnny Marcello said two panes of glass were smashed on different nights at his business. Repairs will cost him $2,000 -- a week’s worth of haircuts.
“He got my neon sign, all my lettering, about $500 for the lettering,” said Marcello.
One block away, The Montavilla Animal Clinic has also been hit twice in two weeks. Someone shot the glass door with a pellet gun.
“There’s nothing funny about it,” said Heyward Stewart, who owns the Academy Theater next door. “It’s dangerous. Twelve feet of glass waiting to fall down on people.”
Stewart’s movie theater has been spared so far, but the vandalism is apparent at businesses on both sides. Business owners said the entire neighborhood stands to lose customers if it doesn’t stop.
“I hope the police are taking notice now to watch it more,” said Greg Bunker, who owns KB Frames.
“When one guy gets hit, we all get hit,” said Marcello. “Old barbers never die. They just have close shaves. I just had my close shave.”
This is hell. This area has been recently cultivating more small new businesses and foot traffic  over the past few years, and even getting a Farmer's Market going,  which make more jobs and better livability  in this community, and then some little sick weasel punks go around shooting? The pity is the PPB cop shop is only about a mile down the street, yet this keep happening? Multiple times??  "...Several shops in the Montavilla neighborhood have been hit multiple times in the last two weeks..."  When these shooting vandals are caught, I would like to see them locked in stocks where everyone in the neighborhood directly affected by this gets walk past them  to each give these losers a resounding slap across the face and  then watch while they get caned on their behinds....Singapore-style.Â
Also:
 A shout-out and two thumbs up  to the Montavilla Animal clinic which has been there forever, is a hidden neighborhood and Portland gem owned and staffed by the wonderful Dr. Behrends, who is a really good veterinarian, second generation in the clinic. He  knows his stuff and he genuinely  likes his  animals patients.
To bad that Bullet proof glass or shatter proof glass is to exspensive. I think it would be funny to see someone throw a rock or a brick at a window and knock themselves cold with the rebound.... Also I think they should be able to install that Anti-Graffety wall that was on Naked Gun. The wall that paints the person who sprays the wall with paint...There should be an easy and cheap way of dealling with these scumm.  I have a friend who got tired of his house being broken into, so now when he leaves his house for any amount of time he sets up a couple of bear traps inside his home. He hangs 2 signs up(One on back door and front door) that reads "Protected by Bear Traps". look through the window and you can see the first 2(one in the front and one in the back) His house has not been broke into since.He also killes the power through the house so you can not see the others.
If only these shopkeepers had hired 'round the clock armed men to guard their storefronts, there wouldn't have been a problem.
spoil brat losers that probably live right around the corner
 @Phuzz Nah, they are more likely  trashy riff-raff coming through Montavilla on Stark st.  from mid-county. The folks in the neighborhood really like their community.
This type of thing happened where I live out in the country. They were vandalizing mail box's and windows.
Some of us got together and chased them up a dead end dirt road. The problem was solved.
 @Pointblank were they teens or adults?
I would suggest, "Hunt them down and kill them," but apparently that's not PC any more. :-P
OK now we know we can't kill them but what about making them drink a boat load of Barrium, then a tankard of Laxitives?
 @cpt.iceman Just slap them in the face hard til they cry.
Such "brave" punks, aren't they? Thing is, they like breaking glass and stuff-- glass doesn't fight back!
A lot of good ideas all around. Video cameras help as long as the criminal is not wearing a disguise. The little criminals need to wake up. Someday they may have jobs, or homes, cars....and Karma could come and bite them.
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 @Just Lookin Wonder what neighborhood watch in that area are planning?
can you make 2 grand a week in 10 dollar haircuts? I'm in the wrong business!
 @Philip MarloweÂ
Then there is the cost of the building, the utilities, the Portland business tax, the county business tax, state income tax, federal income tax, the tax on the utilities, the tax on the tax....
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Then he has to pay for health insurance as required by 0bamaCare and fund his own retirement.
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Once he is done he might make $800 a week or less.
 @RalphCramden You realize Portland voted for Obama and his policies right? Take that conservative nonsense back to Oklahoma.
 @bkerensa Nice display of diversity and coexistence.
@bkerensa @RalphCramden ---I'm guessing some anarchist or occupy clowns can't stand to see people trying to be successful.
Are they sure it was vandals? Could have been huns or visigoths also.
 @jpk ya forgot the Vikings. They probably sailed up the Columbia and Willamette looking for plunder.
Last month i donated my 32" t.v. to "at risk youth", they jimmied my sliding glass door and were at least considerate enough not to damage anything. the dummies didn't even take the remote that was laying next to it.
To bad my Home Security System would be Illegal. It consists of Barring up all windows and running 50,000 volts through them. A Bucket of Battery Acid above the Back Door and a 30-06 wired to the front door. You're house wold be Secured....I am soory for you're loss beeker. There is no place in this world for crooks who break into peoples houses to take something from another. It should be legal to deal with them even if you are not home....
Vandalism won't stop until the ones caught are PUBLICLY followed with names, addresses, and result of fines and restitution. THe Oregonian should have a "Vandal Watch" that these idiots only escape by full payment of all restitution and, hopefully HUGE fines! Maybe volunteers could be found to ruin their cars, homes, etc.
@OCJohn if they get caught, break their little fingers so they get the idea that breaking the law is painful. and then make them pay back the business owners for damages at $1.00 a day
 @OCJohn But what if they're poor, unfortunate "I-dint-know-no-betta juveniles" who in a few minutes can wipe out years of your hard work and get off with barely a harsh word?
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Time for them to start paying the piper just like adults. Everyone who's doing these things understands perfectly well that it's wrong. It's the system that keeps pretending they're delicate little dumplings who just got off on the wrong footing in life.
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Don't just toss them in jail. Make the little suckers pay restitution for their crimes, and earn their keep as well. This whole idea about providing state-run hotels for bad guys & gals is ridiculous. Put 'em to work, even if it's riding stationary bicycles attached to generators to make electricity.
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All you need to do is look at the Cape Mear's Light House. The Vandles did well over Millions in damages but only needed to pay back a Fraction of that. If they do $1000 in damages then they should need to pay back $3000 in restitution. Then hit them with a fine, followed up with a lengthy Jail stay and a Huge amount of Comm. Serv. Not to mention make them clean up the mess. make the punishment fit the crime and then some.
 @Mikey Â
Yes! And if they drop below a certain speed the current reverses and shocks their hiney.
@OCJohn Good idea but I doubt if it would work. These miscreants are most likely shameless and it appears if they are juveniles, their parents haven't done much parenting. A better alternative might be a scared straight program, prison boot camp, or rewriting the laws to charge anyone fifteen and older as an adult. Then incarcerate any second offenders in the state Pen. I certainly don't disagree with full restitution and heavy fines but I suspect such court orders result in little actual restitution. Since these people have no honor, no integrity, and no respect for themselves or anyone else our society needs to find a solution that provides the necessary punishment and incentives not to reoffend or not to offend in the first place. Loss of freedom without all the benefits criminals get in prison may be an answer.
 @I812  @OCJohn Face slapping and caning. Or public stocks and tomato throwing.
I hope they catch these losers and make them work to pay for all the damage...I'm talkin cold, hard cash directly to the owners trying to run legitimate businesses.
Get video cameras folks. In our neighborhood we now have about 40 cameras and no one can get in our out of the neighborhood without being recorded from 10 different angles.
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While it doesn't prevent crime is sure goes a long way in helping catch them.
 @RalphCramden I think this is a drive-by thing and even if a video of a truck or car is seen, it would be hard to ID it on video?
 @whirledworldÂ
It might be easier to identify a vehicle. Plates, vehicle description, a lot better than jeans and a gray hoodie.
 @RalphCramden If they could just come up with a camera that can see through hoodies and masks.
 @Lips  @RalphCramden and tinted truck windows.
 @Lips  @RalphCramden Or lasers that just slice them open.
Just don't set them too high... :-P
 @Lips  Just look for the gleaming pearlies if there's a vid taken at night, right? ];->
Dumb punks, It should be law that I should be able to beat your parents.
 @dkgiovenco Public stocks, face-slapping, tomato-throwing and Singapore style caning are other options.
 @whirledworld I agree.
Barber Johnny is such a great barber. Â Fantastic, quirky little barber shop and Johnny always entertains - this is truly a shame. Â We moved to this neighborhood in 2009 and have loved it - it's a shame to see this happening to an up and coming neighborhood and one can only surmise the near proximity of 82nd ave. having somewhat to do with it, I hate that street.
 @Montavilla I think your real worry about this incident is coming from the badlands of mid-county on/between SE Stark,  SE Division, SE Powell which make 82nd look positively civilized.
 @whirledworld  @Montavilla I spaced off getting gas this morning and had one of those ''Oh, Crap!" moments when I noticed an extra dash light. Sorta luckily I was right by Arco (?) on 122nd and Halsey. Om, it was like walking through a back alley in Oakland, getting from my car to the cashier and back.
 @Montavilla I lived out there and agree, 82nd Ave is a scourge, we were about 4 blocks from it, walk around and see used condoms laying in the streets, interrupted a few "transactions" virtually right in front of my house. And then the prostitution stings, coming home and seeing police all over and a guy in cuffs right in front of our house while they're searching his car and waiting for a tow truck on multiple occasions....that was it for me.
 @deejm2112  @Montavilla Too bad you  and neighbors could not have just made the neighborhood really, really inhospitable for that "trade". It needs to happen. The cops are not enough.
 @Montavilla You hate Jerry Springer Avenue? lol. Can't imagine why.
Use video surveillance.
My understanding is that the new mayor has cut the budgets for all departments across the board by 10% without consideration if it's a vital department or a fluff department. How can they beef up patrols with less to work with?
 @hankhandsomeÂ
Promote the reserve program.
   @hankhandsome like George Zimmerman
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 @Philip Marlowe  @hankhandsomeÂ
What does George Zimmerman have to do with the reserve program?